Darunavir, also known as Prezista™, or [(1S,2R)-3-[[(4-aminophenyl)sulfonyl](2-methylpropyl)amino]-2-hydroxy-1-(phenylmethyl)propyl]-carbamic acid (3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-yl ester monoethanolate, selectively inhibits the cleavage of HIV encoded Gag-Pol polyproteins in infected cells, thereby preventing the formation of mature virus particles. See FDA label for darunavir @ http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/labe1/2006/021976s0011bl.pdf.
Darunavir is currently approved for treatment of HIV infection in combination with ritonavir and optionally other antiretroviral agents.
The most common adverse events experienced by patients dosed with darunavir include, but are not limited to, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, headache, common cold, increased amylase, neutropenia, and nasopharyngitis. Co-administration of a darunavir/ritonavir combination is contraindicated with drugs that are highly dependent on CYP3A4 for clearance and for which elevated plasma concentrations are associated with serious and/or life-threatening events. This is because ritonavir is a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor (See FDA label for darunavir @ http://www.fda.gov/cder/foi/labe1/2006/021976s0011b1.pdf).
Despite the beneficial activities of darunavir, there is a continuing need for new compounds to treat the aforementioned diseases and conditions.